After 11 years at Mars, NASA's MAVEN spacecraft went out with a whisper
Summary
NASA has stopped efforts to contact its MAVEN spacecraft after it unexpectedly stopped communicating following a pass behind Mars. The spacecraft, which studied Mars' atmosphere for 11 years, likely began spinning too fast, lost power, and could no longer operate. Engineers will investigate the cause while preparing to end the mission.Key Facts
- MAVEN stopped sending signals after passing behind Mars on December 6, 2023.
- NASA tried to restore contact but eventually gave up and started decommissioning the mission.
- MAVEN launched in 2013 and began orbiting Mars in 2014 to study its atmosphere and solar wind interactions.
- The spacecraft lasted 11 years, much longer than its original mission plan.
- Data recovered after signal loss showed MAVEN was spinning about 2.7 times per minute, faster than normal.
- The rapid spinning likely prevented solar panels from pointing at the Sun, causing the batteries to drain quickly.
- The spacecraft will remain in its elliptical orbit around Mars for 50 to 100 years before burning up in the atmosphere.
- NASA’s investigation continues to find out exactly why MAVEN failed.
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